


Pieces of Charlton (headcanons)

by OceanCandy (PaddlingDingo)



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Gen, headcanons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:02:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29365935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddlingDingo/pseuds/OceanCandy
Summary: When you spend a thousand years barely existing, there’s a lot to think about. The past, present, the way things change. For Charlton, he’s seen so much, yet shared so little with the world.A collection of Charlton headcanons I posted to twitter in October, my way of sharing a sliver of possibilities for him.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Pieces of Charlton (headcanons)

**Charlton In Fillory**

In Fillory, Charlton could do minor illusion magic. His mother was a midwife, so when he was younger he used to do illusion magic to keep any kids in the house entertained while his mother worked.

-

Charlton’s father was a woodworker, who created amazing work: ornate bridges, decorative pieces that remained in Castle Whitespire until Fillory’s destruction. When pieces were damaged or wore out, a member of the family restored them using the same family techniques.

He hopes that the knowledge got passed down and lives on in some branch of his family in new Fillory, but he’s also afraid to hope that much. It’s one of so many things that Fillory has lost, and he’s only just started to mourn his home.

-

Charlton was the only one in his family that showed any magical ability. He was mostly initially self taught until someone else in their village started to teach him. Mostly illusion magic, but he also learned how to light a fire faster, or how to quickly warm water.

-

Charlton once ate an obscene amount of strawberry jam when he was a kid, and his sister found him passed out with his face red and sticky. Somehow, he still likes the stuff.

**Charlton in Eliot’s head**

There were some nights where Eliot couldn’t sleep; after staying up so long, his schedule was way off. On one really bad night, he asked if Charlton was listening. Charlton appeared in the room and sat on a chair. He wasn’t really there of course, but also... he was.

It helped, having someone to talk to. A friend. Sometimes he’d just ask Charlton to tell him something, or just to make some noise so Eliot wouldn’t seem so alone. Charlton tended to hum, which was oddly soothing. Nights like this, he wished that Charlton had his own form.

So that he could be where he wanted to be, not stuck here. But for now, this is how it was. And if a softly hummed song helped Eliot sleep, he’d take it. He just hoped someday he had the chance to help Charlton when he needed it.

-

Charlton attempting to comfort Eliot after Q died, but being unable to do anything because he was stuck behind the door. Just him saying “I’m sorry and I’m here” over and over. It broke his heart to not be able to help.

**Charlton On Earth**

Charlton’s initial attempts at making coffee were so miserably bad that Penny in particular absolutely refuses to drink any coffee he makes for at least a month until Charlton eventually improves his coffee making skills.

-

Charlton loves spicy food. You’d think that not being able to taste would cause the opposite, but in truth, he’s so thrilled to taste that he’ll eat anything.

He really missed food; he’s not a big eater, but he loves tasting things. It gives him and Josh something to immediately talk about, and the two become fast friends once Fillory is found. Charlton is always up for tasting new recipes!

-

Because of how many things in his own memories that he had to hold back or hide from the Nameless, Charlton loves the idea of anything that helps preserve memories. In particular, he’s fascinated with taking pictures and capturing something to remember or share later. He’s also started sketching, which is helping him regain some of his memories.

-

Charlton spent so much time sitting properly and not really interacting with furniture normally. After he’s in Hyman form, he starts out innocently enough, sitting as you’d expect. In a matter of weeks, he’s sitting wherever he feels like it. This includes sideways, upside down on the couch, sprawled over that weird jean pillow chair in the PKC, in the hidden nook. He eventually settles back to something slightly more relaxed than when he started, after he feels out what it’s like to exist in spaces.

-

Charlton has zero use for dumb New York souvenirs and he knows they’re overpriced but he still likes stopping and looking in the window at tourist trap shops. Maybe he has one “I <3 NY” mug, even though he finds the city kind of loud and confusing.

-

Charlton picks up a love of Coca Cola and makes an arrangement with Todd: he can have a can every time he takes Todd’s turn cleaning the kitchen. Todd tells him never to shake it and open it, unless it’s in front of Eliot.

1) It’s a bottomless dispenser so it’s silly for Todd to trade anything :P

2) Hyman rats Todd out and tells Charlton that Todd shakes some of the sodas to try to prank Charlton.

3) Charlton and Eliot start pranking Todd back.

Where everyone is an awful influence.

-

The concept that all the trees aren’t somehow connected on Earth is one of those things that made Charlton sad.

-

Charlton learned how to use transit from Kady; she got him a transit card and showed him how to get around the city. It’s a little overwhelming at first but he gets used to it, and he likes that he can go visit Kady since they’ve become friends!

-

Charlton can’t always figure out stuff in the kitchen. He could cook fine in Fillory, but Earth kitchens are confusing. Microwave a fork? Oh absolutely (thankfully Todd caught that one). Once, early on, he tried to make soup from a can because Eliot had a cold.

He couldn’t figure out how to open the can. He expected something like the soda cans, but this was something else entirely. He was about ready to stab it when Eliot appeared and showed him the can opener.

He’s doing okay with the toaster and has taken a liking to strawberry toaster strudels. He tried drawing cute things in icing but they always melted into something questionable.

The first actual thing Charlton figures out how to cook is a grilled cheese sandwich, then promptly somehow figured out tacos. He’s oddly efficient at chopping vegetables, says that’s his mother’s influence. Eliot appreciates the taco development.

-

The first time Charlton ate hot wings, he loved them so much that he ate too many and laid around miserable the rest of the night. He still said it was totally worth it.

-

Charlton in Hyman form couldn’t eat mushrooms, peanuts, or cheese. He was also allergic to most flowers. The amulet cause all the allergies to go away, which he’s grateful for because he’s developing a taste for panang curry, peanuts and all.

One of the nicest things about ditching the peanut allergy that Hyman had is that now Charlton can eat Reese’s Pieces. The problem is, he ate a whole bag in one sitting and now he doesn’t even want to look at them for a while.

When the allergies were gone, he ended up sticking his face straight into a flower just to rejoice in the lack of sneezing. He’d love to grow flowers some day, just to watch them grow then bloom.

-

Charlton ends up hating reading books on his phone, but he absolutely loves stupid videos. And he picks up random memes and quote them, even if they’re 2 years outdated.

-

Charlton is really good with kids, probably a side effect of his mother being a midwife. As such, he’s a prime babysitter for Hope once he’s got his traveling abilities in check.

-

Some days, Charlton just sits on the grass somewhere and closes his eyes, the sun on his face. Or even the rain. And he thinks that it’s a wonderful thing that he’s even here, that he’s living right now, that he gets to see the things he sees.

-

Random things Charlton loves:

Hot chocolate

Comfortable sweaters

Chocolate milkshakes

Avocados

Halloween candy

-

When Lipson finds out that Charlton is from Fillory, her only concern is that he should probably be vaccinated to be safe. Charlton isn’t amused because it turns out he doesn’t like needles.

-

Charlton doesn’t mind that the bus takes a couple of hours to get anywhere. He takes a book, and does his best to enjoy the journey. It’s a bit different every time he goes somewhere.

-

Charlton is that person that will stay in the bathtub until he is some kind of raisin.

-

Charlton has read all the Fillory books and is fascinated yet horrified. Just when he really gets into something that reminds him of home, he comes across something that makes him exclaim “what the fuck”.

-

Charlton visiting a pet store and encountering a parrot that talks, and is so relieved that some animal on Earth can actually talk.

The pet store staff isn’t sure if he’s crazy or really likes talking to birds.

-

Charlton encourages Eliot to cook not so he can eat it but because Eliot seems happier when he’s doing something he enjoys.

-

Charlton is fascinated by Halloween and so Julia takes him to places in the suburbs that have the best decorations and there’s kids in costumes everywhere and he doesn’t understand most of them but he loves it. Imagine how Christmas lights are going to go over!

**Charlton Adjusting**

The first time Charlton cried on Earth is when he was still in Hyman form. It was the first time he had the opportunity to grieve what he’d lost when the Nameless took him. He’d forgotten what tears felt like, and it hurt, but reminded him that he’s alive.

He’s not ready to talk about what happened and why it’s so upsetting, but it’s in there. Someday he’ll tell someone.

Eliot was reassuring, but it was still so early on in their friendship. Charlton will tell him, someday. He doesn’t think that Eliot’s ready to hear it, not while he struggles with his own trauma. Charlton will definitely need all the hugs possible when the whole story finally comes out.

He’s sure Eliot can handle it, but there’s parallels to the Nameless causing them both to lose someone they cared deeply about, and Charlton has been carrying this for a thousand years. He’s come to terms with it. But someday he needs to say it out loud.

-

Charlton is sometimes agoraphobic because he’s not used to actually being in large spaces after being trapped in basically a small room in his head for so long.

-

Charlton forgets a lot of Eliot’s memories once they’re separated. He remembers things Eliot showed him, things he has context for, and an assortment of other things. Separated from Eliot, a lot of the memories faded.

He hid a lot of his own memories in his own mind; he pictures them as books in his own happy place. As he remembers more of himself, his focus shifts to those memories. He’ll always know a lot about Eliot, but it becomes more about what he saw with Eliot, or what Eliot showed him. And the occasional beach memory.

-

The first time Charlton tries on the amulet, it’s at the NY penthouse. It’s right after Pete informed him of what it did. When he tried it on, the world felt strange, brighter. Details came into focus that he knew about himself but had always taken for granted.

It’s stressful at first, thoughts running through his head. His actual body had been shot, would he have a hold in him? It was ridiculous, but he ended up in the bathroom, gripping the countertop with his eyes closed. Running through the possibilities.

He’s shocked when he opens his eyes. He knew how he should look, but he hadn’t expected it to be so exact. He puts a finger on the birthmark in front of his left ear. Until now, he felt like he’d been walking in the body of a stranger. A burden lifted when he was himself again.

He’s overwhelmed by the way his own voice resonates, by the feeling of being himself, completely, after almost a thousand years.

He sinks to the floor, tears in his eyes. Only two living people had seen him, as he truly was. And now, so many more would.

Kady appears and asks Pete why there’s a stranger crying in the bathroom. Charlton tells her that it’s him, and Kady is the first one to hug him as him.

-

The first time Charlton tried to run after he was himself again, he’d forgotten what it felt like and crashed into the staircase at the NY apartment. Nothing injured but his pride, although Kady looked alarmed for a moment.

-

Charlton finds most Earth music interesting on some level but he’s fascinated by the complexities of classical music and good metal, the “weird” sound of country music, and the beats of rock and pop music. Any playlist he would make would be a disaster.

-

Charlton can’t travel at first because he inherited Hyman’s wards. It causes a psychic block so that he can’t tell where he’s going, which makes him unable to make a jump. Removing that ward and putting up his own allows him to finally travel!

-

Charlton goes through a period of playing dumb games on his phone and it drives Eliot insane. Todd just encourages it. Charlton swiftly realizes that all casual games are only structured to get your money. He gives up on this particular hobby.

-

Charlton spends time making friends other than Eliot. It’s important to him that Eliot never has to feel like he’s the only friend Charlton has. He ends up going into the city to stay at the Penthouse a couple of times a week.

He becomes friends with Kady and Pete. It turns out he has a knack for copying spells, even to digital mediums, so he starts working with the hedges a bit on this. Kady pays him for this, as she doesn’t want to take advantage of a friend. Kady introduces him to some new foods!

He also spends time with Penny and Julia, and he’s great with Hope. Top notch babysitter! And Plum helps show Charlton around.

-

Charlton didn’t just take on a body, he took on a body in order to travel to save Margo, even though it would be terrifying.

-

Charlton is a chaotic sleeper at first. The concept of sleeping in a bed again is confusing. Without a body, he had no need of sleep. It comes as a little bit of a surprise but a relief that he gets tired. He ends up tangled in blankets, sometimes half off the bed.

Wake up is harder; he’d reach up to run a hand through his hair and his hair felt wrong. Everything felt wrong. It isn’t until he’s himself again that sleep feels right. He still gets tangled in the sheets; now he curls up in them, reveling in simple things like being too warm.

Being too warm means he’s alive, and it means he’s safe. He’ll take it.

-

All Charlton remembers of Eliot’s Lost binge was the end. When he finally gets around to watching it, it’s kind of fun to watch and see how all the pieces move towards it. He doesn’t mind spoilers, although the hard part is that he forgets others don’t want spoilers.

He blurts out the end to at least 3 different things to Plum and she tells him that if she’s had quite enough of seeing what’s coming, please stop with giving away the endings. :)

-

Charlton misses being able to do illusion magic; one time, he was in love with someone and used to light up the bedroom they shared, like it was somewhere under the ocean, or in a forest complete with colorful birds. He misses being able to feel like he could reshape reality in his way, even for a little while.

-

Charlton isn’t sure what to do with himself after everything starts to settle. He has nowhere to go and nowhere to be. He ends up applying at Brakebills; he does well on his written test, but shows no magical aptitude at that time.

He gets approved on the condition that he’s able to demonstrate some magical ability. Which, eventually, he does; he has the ability to travel, and eventually picks up some of his old illusion magic skills.

-

Charlton isn’t a fan of windstorms; they remind him a big of what it felt like when the Monster was pulled out, the wind whipping at him, the uncertainty. He curls up in a blanket in a corner and listens to music. After while, it gets better. 

-

The first time Charlton manages to travel, he makes it back to the Physical Kids’ Cottage but he’s too far above the couch and crashes down onto it. Eliot is startled, Penny considered it a success because he wasn’t in a wall.

-

Charlton hates clutter. He spent almost a thousand years in a small white room in his mind, and everything was ordered and had a place. A place that he could be in without anything to remind him of the terror outside. The need for everything to be put away is strong.

-

Charlton has a hard time remembering all his own memories. There are some so precious to him that he pushed them far back in his mind because the memories of what he lost were too painful. The hardest one is someone he loved, a knight, who had to go on a great and terrible quest.

Charlton has fought to remember the smell of him, what it was like to be in his arms. He couldn’t remember everything so he held onto the most important parts. He couldn’t remember his name.

But he had green eyes.

He won’t talk about how he lost him; it’s related to the Nameless, and he’s not ready to think about it. Not yet. He had to lock those memories away to survive his time with the Nameless.

Every bit of memory he held onto was those moments of connection, as much as they hurt. Sometimes he understands Eliot’s pain all too well.

**Author's Note:**

> I felt that there was so much we didn’t find out about Charlton, and I loved the idea of just taking a month and posting 1-2 headcanons a day to just put all of the ideas and thoughts I had for him out there. A lot of this also comes up in my stories, but these are just some things I built up in my head while writing.


End file.
